1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to positioning a component and more particularly relates to positioning a printed circuit board component to contact a thermal device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electrical components such as processors contain an increasing number of transistors and operate at ever-higher frequencies. As a result, the heat produced by a high-heat electrical component (hereinafter “component”) has risen significantly, requiring more effective means of removing heat from the component. In many systems such a high-bandwidth server systems, the ability to remove heat from components is a key design constraint.
Thermal devices such as heat sinks, heat pipes, and active cooling systems have been used to remove heat from components. A thermal device requires an efficient thermal path from the component to the thermal device to effectively remove heat from the component. The efficiency of the thermal path increases as the thermal device and component are in physical contact over a broad area such that the length of the thermal path is minimized while the thermal path has the greatest possible area. Therefore the thermal device is typically positioned in close physical contact with the component, with compression between the thermal device and the component.
The component is often disposed on a flexible printed circuit board (“PCB”) while the thermal device is typically constructed of rigid materials with high thermal conductivity. As a result, the PCB and component must be positioned to closely contact the thermal device. For example, the PCB may be biased toward the thermal device to improve contact between the component and the PCB.
Unfortunately, the PCB may reside in an enclosure that affords little space for devices to bias the PCB toward the thermal device. For example, an enclosure of a computer server may have only a small clearance between the PCB and the enclosure, requiring that any device used to bias the PCB fit within the small clearance. In addition, space constraints may require that the PCB be biased by making biasing adjustments from the thermal device side of the PCB. For example, the biasing device may only be accessible from the direction of the intended bias.
The PCB may include a plurality of components requiring thermal devices to remove heat. Each component must be positioned to closely contact a thermal device. Many PCBs that include a plurality of components requiring thermal devices are configured so that the PCB is not always populated with each component. For example, a PCB for a multiprocessor computer may include sockets for eight processors. However, the PCB may be populated with from one to eight processors, depending on the processing requirements of the computer.
Unfortunately, the positioning of the PCB with eight components may be unacceptable for the PCB with only one component. For example, the PCB at a component socket may be biased away from a planar configuration, flexing toward a thermal device, because when the component is installed in the socket, the contact of the thermal device biases the PCB back to a normal planar configuration. Yet without the component in the socket, the PCB will remain biased away from the normal planar configuration, potentially stressing the PCB and violating PCB position requirements.
From the foregoing discussion, it should be apparent that a need exists for an apparatus, system, and method that position a component while operating within a small clearance. Beneficially, such an apparatus, system, and method would allow the positioning of the component within enclosures with little clearance between the component's PCB and the enclosure. In addition, the apparatus, system, and method would allow the PCB to maintain a desired configuration when populated with a variable number of components requiring contact with thermal devices.